Doggy Under the Weather

So my goal of posting more on here has recently blown right past me. Things got crazy around here about 4 weeks ago, and I just haven’t had the energy to even express my thoughts.

I am still having issues from my car accident, pain, can’t remember things, and can not focus on anything for very long. I want my attention span back please :P.

So a few months ago we woke up to a few of our chickens being gone, and a large black dog cowering near my neighbor’s house. He was obviously starving and very scared, so we fed him and somehow a few days later he was in my house being treated for tape worms and had a new name and a new dog collar and ID tag. We live in the country and it seems people like to dump animals they no longer wish to own or take care of, we have seen kittens that go missing before I can get them, goats you name it we’ve seen it. I actually witnessed or drove up on 2 men pushing 2 dogs out of their truck when they saw me they sped off. I called the sherif but nothing was done. It’s sad really especially since we live in a county that has an animal shelter with a no questions drop off, they will not prosecute or even pursue you if you drop of a dog on its death bed.

So anyway the dog we took in is actually a great dog, he is a large Great Dane mix, he was fully house broken, heck he poops in the woods so there is no cleanup at all. He goes in the woods with the kids and stays with them not on a leash and protects them (I have witnessed this first hand). He protects me even seriously ill recently my hubby went hunting and came home with his ski mask still on came in and the dog could barely stand up from being so sick yet he got up next to me and would not let me move he would push himself against me pinning me in the corner.

Well as I said he got really sick about 4 weeks ago, he was so sick I had to call the mobile vet that treats animals out here since we are so far out in the country. They came out and thought at first he had a fungal pneumonia from digging, but his lungs were clear so they figured he had a stomach infection probably from eating garbage or from eating bad food, or maybe from eating the chipmunks he loves to catch.

They gave him an antibiotic shot, an IV bag of fluids since he had stopped eating and drinking, and sent us on our way with antibiotics and anti-emetics. He did not do well though we had to force him to drink water from a syringe, and cook chicken and hand feed it to him. This was an every 2 hour task for 3 weeks, finally this week he is eating dog food again and drinking on his own. he is now going outside and running in the woods again on his own as well, we are so happy we really were so worried we were going to lose him.

How strange it is to have an animal show up and so quickly become a part of your family and your heart. We really do love Duke and could not think of life without him.

So I leave you with a photo of our fatihful companion and loving friend Duke, this was taken about a week ago when he was starting to feel a little better.